Door systems and window systems (collectively “door systems”) may include a fixed casement framing the portal, and a door body or element supported for swinging movement relative to the casement. Window systems may be of similar construction, with the window element typically being fixed in the casement. The casement, for example, may be formed primarily of metal or wood and may include weather-stripping. The door element or window element (collectively “element”) may include a metal frame assembly and an insulated glass pane mounted in the frame. The element may include a set of elongated hollow frame profiles joined at corners to form the metal frame assembly. The metal frame assembly may include insulation elements between an outer metal frame assembly exposed to weather and an inner metal frame assembly insulated from the outer metal frame. The element may include an insulated glass pane in the metal frame assembly. The appearance of systems including these metal frame and glass pane elements may vary widely in relation to appearance of the hollow frame profiles and appearance of the metal frame assembly formed by joining a set of such profiles.
Such metal frame and glass pane elements may be constructed by cold-forming metals to form the frame profiles, and thus may be difficult and time-consuming to manufacture. Some may be formed of extruded lightweight metal profiles, such as extruded aluminum profiles, and these systems may include visible joints between the profiles that impair their appearance. Other metal frame and glass pane elements may be assembled by sandwich construction techniques. Elements having sandwich constructions may suffer delamination failures, requiring expensive repairs or replacement by building owners or the manufacturer. Determining and addressing root causes of delamination failures may require major investigation, engineering analysis, changes in product designs and manufacturing methods, and also may require long periods of testing. Undesired or unacceptable variations in product quality may be caused, over long periods of production. For reasons stated above and for other reasons which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for improved metal frame and glass pane door and window elements, systems including such elements, and methods for making the elements.